Romans created these "Aqueducts" to bring water from nearby sources for public baths, latrines, and other uses of clean water. It also managed to set up a complex sewage system. This helped create clean cities and towns. Not only did it help with having clean water for the citizens to use and drink, but it also helped with agriculture such as mining, farming, and gardens. A basic run down on how the aqueducts worked is the water moves by gravity alone along with a slight downward slope within conduit of stone or concrete. The first aqueduct was used for a fountain in the middle of the Roman's cattle market.
By the third century, Rome had a population of over a Million people. It had become a water-dependent economy. Most of the water did supply the cities public baths (which is shown near the bottom). Most cities in Rome followed this model. It became an idea of public interest and civic pride everywhere. Someone described it as " An expensive but necessary luxury that everyone aspires to have". Most of the Roman Aqueducts did prove to be reliable and durable. There are some that are still in use today. The city of Rome, itself needed a new way of getting clean water into the city. Yet another reason for the engineering of these aqueducts.
Now the idea of the Aqueduct system was not all the Roman's invention, they had help from their neighbors the Greek and the Etruscan peoples. Before the use of the Aqueducts, the Roman's like every other ancient society at that time, relied on water from the local springs and lakes. Another way would be by supplementing groundwater through private wells. Another way was by collecting rain water of roofs into jars and cisterns. With the invention of Aqueducts, it made it more convenient for the Romans to get water which led to the increase in productivity.
Examples
This is the Pont du Gard. It was located in the Roman Gaul, which is present-day southern France. It stands at about 162 feet high. It was built around 16-20 A.D.. This is only part of the aqueduct, it is about 30 miles long. It has a decline of about 54 feet. This is one of the most famous Roman Aqueducts. It still stands today.
This is the Aqueduct Sevogia. Along with the Pont du Gard, is the only Roman Aqueduct still standing today. Because it is still standing today, is proof that the Aqueducts were reliable and durable. The fact that it withstood that much water over that long period of time is absolutely amazing to me.
This is Rome's Porta Maggiore. It is supported by the arch of Aqua Claudia and Rome's highest aqueduct Aqua Anio Novus. This aqueduct gave good clean water but it was often muddy, which caused an issue.
Here is a picture of what the Aqueducts looked like from a birds eye view. I believe that it should be considered the "Eight Wonder of the World".
How it all Worked
The most common source for the aqueducts were springs. The biggest source was from the Anio Valley. Spring water was usually stored in a supply site on an uphill incline. This supply house was attached to the Aqueduct conduit which sent the water down stream to fill the cities with safe drinking water.
"The Mirrors Gallery" - This is a picture of a section of an ancient Roman Aqueduct. It is located in a Mountainside. This is a perfect example of a supply house for water.
The conduit from an Aqueduct in present-day Spain. The surface itself was made up of bricks. Most importantly to note, they were also waterproof. Mainly because tons of water flowed over it to reach the cities.
This is a picture of the inside of a Roman Aqueduct conduit. This is how water is transferred from the supply sites to the cities and towns in Ancient Rome.
The Latin word for Arch means "Fornix" that is where the word fornication came from. In Architecture it has a different meaning which is "vault". During ancient Rome, the prostitutes use to wait under the Arches to be picked up. The Prostitutes "frequented the vaulted arcades surrounding the Coliseum". Thus, the word fornication comes from the root word "Fornix"
Here is a basic diagram of how the Aqueduct worked:
Common Uses
A. Public Use
Common uses of the Aqueducts are domestic and civic. With Aqueducts, the Romans were able to create public baths which was amazing at the time because there was only private baths which were pricey and rare. The private baths came from private water supply. When the Roman Aqueducts made it to the city's higher elevation, large well-equipped public baths were created. On top of that, drinking water could be carried to public fountains for the use of the citizens.
B. Farm Use
The Farm Industry in Rome lived and died with the water supply. If the water was there, the farm industry was booming if not it was garbage. Before the use of Aqueducts, Rome had plenty of water sources such as lakes, ponds, etc., however, it seemed that it was unevenly distributed. Some areas would have plenty of water and others would not. It also seemed like the water supply was up when it was not needed and vice-versa. With the introduction to the Aqueducts, led to an increase in productivity of farm use. Mainly because water began to be distributed properly, and water had much more availability. Farmers began getting higher incomes with the sale of food. Famers that lived near an Aqueduct made bank because of the convenience of the water.
C. Industrial Use
Some Aqueducts were fed into industrial sites such as mining sites. Engineers created an open channel cut into the ground. They were lined with clay and/or wood to prevent water loss. Most of these apparatuses were created to operate on a steep level to supply high levels of water to the mines. The water was used for hydraulic mining. It was used to clean off the bearing rock to seek out the ore to be used for mining. It is crazy to see how intuitive people of that time period were. They had limited amount of tools and knowledge and made the most out of it. The picture below is an open channel cut into the ground for an Aqueduct to reach a mining site.
The Roman Aqueducts Today
Ancient Rome's Demise Probably Not Caused By Lead Poisoning, Scientists Say - Huffington Post
by Thomas Sumner Posted: 04/23/2014 8:49 am EDT Updated: 04/23/2014 8:59 am
ANCIENT ROME LEAD
When in ancient Rome, don’t drink as the Romans do. High-born Romans sipped beverages cooked in lead vessels and channeled [[#|spring]] water into their [[#|homes]] through lead pipes (pictured). Some historians argue that lead poisoning plagued the Roman elite with diseases such as [[#|gout]] and hastened the empire's fall. Now, a team of archaeologists and scientists has discovered just how contaminated Roman tap water was. The team dredged sediment downstream from Rome in the harbor basin at Portus, a maritime port of imperial Rome, and from a [[#|channel]] connecting the port to the Tiber River. The researchers compared the lead isotopes in their sediment samples with those found in preserved Roman piping to create a historical record of lead pollution flowing from the Roman capital. Tap water from ancient Rome likely contained up to 100 times more lead than local spring water, the team reports online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. While the lead contamination was measureable, the team says the levels were unlikely high enough to be harmful, ruling out tap water as a major culprit in Rome's demise. The team's thousand-year historical record included noticeable changes in lead pollution from Rome following major events such as the Gothic Wars in 535 C.E., Byzantine repairs to abandoned Roman aqueducts in 554 C.E., and the mid-9th century Arab sack of Rome. The team says this timeline can support historians studying the changing character of Rome and Portus during the turbulent post-empire years.
* I find it fascinating that for years historians thought that a huge problem for the downfall of Rome was the harmful chemicals in the drinking water. In the end, the Roman Aqueducts did work out properly because that was one of its major jobs was to supply clean drinking water to the cities of Rome.
YouTube video - The Roman Aqueducts
The historians in the video do an excellent job of explaining how the Aqueduct works. I was a little unsure but after I watched the video it cleared everything up. I hope you find the video as informative and helpful as I did. The two guys explaining how the Aqueducts work cracks me up.
LOOKS GOOD! NO EXTRA WORK NECESSARY!
Roman Aqueducts -
Romans created these "Aqueducts" to bring water from nearby sources for public baths, latrines, and other uses of clean water. It also managed to set up a complex sewage system. This helped create clean cities and towns. Not only did it help with having clean water for the citizens to use and drink, but it also helped with agriculture such as mining, farming, and gardens. A basic run down on how the aqueducts worked is the water moves by gravity alone along with a slight downward slope within conduit of stone or concrete. The first aqueduct was used for a fountain in the middle of the Roman's cattle market.By the third century, Rome had a population of over a Million people. It had become a water-dependent economy. Most of the water did supply the cities public baths (which is shown near the bottom). Most cities in Rome followed this model. It became an idea of public interest and civic pride everywhere. Someone described it as " An expensive but necessary luxury that everyone aspires to have". Most of the Roman Aqueducts did prove to be reliable and durable. There are some that are still in use today. The city of Rome, itself needed a new way of getting clean water into the city. Yet another reason for the engineering of these aqueducts.
Now the idea of the Aqueduct system was not all the Roman's invention, they had help from their neighbors the Greek and the Etruscan peoples. Before the use of the Aqueducts, the Roman's like every other ancient society at that time, relied on water from the local springs and lakes. Another way would be by supplementing groundwater through private wells. Another way was by collecting rain water of roofs into jars and cisterns. With the invention of Aqueducts, it made it more convenient for the Romans to get water which led to the increase in productivity.
Examples
This is the Pont du Gard. It was located in the Roman Gaul, which is present-day southern France. It stands at about 162 feet high. It was built around 16-20 A.D.. This is only part of the aqueduct, it is about 30 miles long. It has a decline of about 54 feet. This is one of the most famous Roman Aqueducts. It still stands today.
This is the Aqueduct Sevogia. Along with the Pont du Gard, is the only Roman Aqueduct still standing today. Because it is still standing today, is proof that the Aqueducts were reliable and durable. The fact that it withstood that much water over that long period of time is absolutely amazing to me.
This is Rome's Porta Maggiore. It is supported by the arch of Aqua Claudia and Rome's highest aqueduct Aqua Anio Novus. This aqueduct gave good clean water but it was often muddy, which caused an issue.
Here is a picture of what the Aqueducts looked like from a birds eye view. I believe that it should be considered the "Eight Wonder of the World".
How it all Worked
The most common source for the aqueducts were springs. The biggest source was from the Anio Valley. Spring water was usually stored in a supply site on an uphill incline. This supply house was attached to the Aqueduct conduit which sent the water down stream to fill the cities with safe drinking water."The Mirrors Gallery" - This is a picture of a section of an ancient Roman Aqueduct. It is located in a Mountainside. This is a perfect example of a supply house for water.
The conduit from an Aqueduct in present-day Spain. The surface itself was made up of bricks. Most importantly to note, they were also waterproof. Mainly because tons of water flowed over it to reach the cities.
This is a picture of the inside of a Roman Aqueduct conduit. This is how water is transferred from the supply sites to the cities and towns in Ancient Rome.
The Latin word for Arch means "Fornix" that is where the word fornication came from. In Architecture it has a different meaning which is "vault". During ancient Rome, the prostitutes use to wait under the Arches to be picked up. The Prostitutes "frequented the vaulted arcades surrounding the Coliseum". Thus, the word fornication comes from the root word "Fornix"
Here is a basic diagram of how the Aqueduct worked:
Common Uses
A. Public Use
Common uses of the Aqueducts are domestic and civic. With Aqueducts, the Romans were able to create public baths which was amazing at the time because there was only private baths which were pricey and rare. The private baths came from private water supply. When the Roman Aqueducts made it to the city's higher elevation, large well-equipped public baths were created. On top of that, drinking water could be carried to public fountains for the use of the citizens.B. Farm Use
The Farm Industry in Rome lived and died with the water supply. If the water was there, the farm industry was booming if not it was garbage. Before the use of Aqueducts, Rome had plenty of water sources such as lakes, ponds, etc., however, it seemed that it was unevenly distributed. Some areas would have plenty of water and others would not. It also seemed like the water supply was up when it was not needed and vice-versa. With the introduction to the Aqueducts, led to an increase in productivity of farm use. Mainly because water began to be distributed properly, and water had much more availability. Farmers began getting higher incomes with the sale of food. Famers that lived near an Aqueduct made bank because of the convenience of the water.C. Industrial Use
Some Aqueducts were fed into industrial sites such as mining sites. Engineers created an open channel cut into the ground. They were lined with clay and/or wood to prevent water loss. Most of these apparatuses were created to operate on a steep level to supply high levels of water to the mines. The water was used for hydraulic mining. It was used to clean off the bearing rock to seek out the ore to be used for mining. It is crazy to see how intuitive people of that time period were. They had limited amount of tools and knowledge and made the most out of it. The picture below is an open channel cut into the ground for an Aqueduct to reach a mining site.The Roman Aqueducts Today
Ancient Rome's Demise Probably Not Caused By Lead Poisoning, Scientists Say - Huffington Post
by Thomas Sumner
Posted: 04/23/2014 8:49 am EDT Updated: 04/23/2014 8:59 am
When in ancient Rome, don’t drink as the Romans do. High-born Romans sipped beverages cooked in lead vessels and channeled [[#|spring]] water into their [[#|homes]] through lead pipes (pictured). Some historians argue that lead poisoning plagued the Roman elite with diseases such as [[#|gout]] and hastened the empire's fall. Now, a team of archaeologists and scientists has discovered just how contaminated Roman tap water was.
The team dredged sediment downstream from Rome in the harbor basin at Portus, a maritime port of imperial Rome, and from a [[#|channel]] connecting the port to the Tiber River. The researchers compared the lead isotopes in their sediment samples with those found in preserved Roman piping to create a historical record of lead pollution flowing from the Roman capital. Tap water from ancient Rome likely contained up to 100 times more lead than local spring water, the team reports online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While the lead contamination was measureable, the team says the levels were unlikely high enough to be harmful, ruling out tap water as a major culprit in Rome's demise.
The team's thousand-year historical record included noticeable changes in lead pollution from Rome following major events such as the Gothic Wars in 535 C.E., Byzantine repairs to abandoned Roman aqueducts in 554 C.E., and the mid-9th century Arab sack of Rome. The team says this timeline can support historians studying the changing character of Rome and Portus during the turbulent post-empire years.
* I find it fascinating that for years historians thought that a huge problem for the downfall of Rome was the harmful chemicals in the drinking water. In the end, the Roman Aqueducts did work out properly because that was one of its major jobs was to supply clean drinking water to the cities of Rome.
YouTube video - The Roman Aqueducts
The historians in the video do an excellent job of explaining how the Aqueduct works. I was a little unsure but after I watched the video it cleared everything up. I hope you find the video as informative and helpful as I did. The two guys explaining how the Aqueducts work cracks me up.